January 11, 2007

Friday frivolity preview: Gollum sings Barry White

Posted by Jon Sanders at 11:28 PM

And if that's not enough for you, They've taken the hobbits to Isengard!

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Cumberland County Schools Stir...Well...Nothing

Posted by Dr. Terry Stoops at 1:25 PM

Parents in Cumberland County received notice that more than half of the district's schools did not have the test scores to make AYP or adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind. This means that the district is now required to create a District Improvement Plan, which is bound to fail, given its "major emphasis" on staff development.

As Lindalyn says below, it is all about teacher quality. And no amount of professional development will put a quality teacher in the classroom.

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Superintendent Gorman stirs the pot!

Posted by Lindalyn Kakadelis at 12:45 AM

Today’s Charlotte Observer reports that teachers in the system’s poorest performing high schools got the strong message from Superintendent Gorman – it not business as usual! The schools have seen resignations and teacher absences increase, but not a bad result as poor teachers NEED to leave the profession. The MOST important factor in student achievement is not the building nor the social economic status of the student, it is the ability of the classroom teacher to communicate!
Gorman is now directing “experienced” teachers OUT of the central office into needed classrooms. I just hope these “experience” teachers are good teachers!
Dr. Paul Peterson wrote an informative piece on teacher quality that should be read by everyone who thinks an “experience” teacher is one who has simply worked for years in the establishment.
Time will tell if Superintendent Gorman will get the results he anticipates, but at least he willing to act instead of whine.
 

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Local Control Blocked

Posted by Lindalyn Kakadelis at 11:53 AM

Seems the School Board in Bertie County is questioning the ability of their Superintendent to focus on student achievement. After requesting her resignation, Judge Manning, State Board of Education Chairman Howard Lee, and the Department of Public Instruction want to get involved. While the media has not picked up on the story a local blog, Bertie County Patriot, gives the details of the fiasco. The Superintendent needs to pick up a copy of Jay Greene's book, Education Myths, and memorize chapter one - The Money Myth - "Schools perform poorly because they need more money."
I heard there is a meeting with the local board and those mentioned above next week in Raleigh. Nothing like holding folks accountable for results, but NOT letting them have the authority or flexibility to accomplish the results. This is one of the biggest problems in the government educational system. It will be interesting to see the out come. Who will have the last word - the local board, or the folks in Raleigh? 

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Re: DPI On The Road Again

Posted by Lindalyn Kakadelis at 10:01 AM

Yep, I got the DELAY email this morning too.  Do you think the Department of Public Instruction is reading the Locker Room? Maybe they did not appreciate me inviting everyone to go give their opinion! Nope, I really don’t think so. Like Terry said – this is normal for DPI. Don't worry, we will let folks know "if" or "when" DPI decides to goes on the road again!

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RE: DPI On the Road Again

Posted by Dr. Terry Stoops at 06:56 AM

I appreciated Lindalyn's post on the eight regional meetings scheduled by DPI to discuss the new high school core curriculum. True to form, the meetings have been DELAYED until sometime next month.

That's right, another delay to go with countless other delays. You name it, it has been delayed...except for the anointing of J.B. Buxton as Deputy State Superintendent of Education. Then again, the governor's office was in charge of that one.

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